I have been to see the War Horse film and thought it was very sentimental. But so much has been said about the book, which is now a bestseller, I feel I ought to give it a try. Should I?

Unequivocally, yes. Go and buy the book and judge Michael Morpurgo's story on its own qualities. Michael Morpurgo based this story on his knowledge and understanding of horses from his experience of running a farm in the Devon countryside. His version of Joey and the relationship between Joey and Albert, the farmer's son who looks after him and then signs up to join the army so that the two can be reunited when Joey is sent to the front, works because it is grounded in reality.

It also works because Michael Morpurgo had a very clear intention in mind when he wrote the story. As he said, "The narrative is told by the horse, because I wanted this to be a story of universal suffering in the war, not told from one side or the other." This non-partisan view makes a very moving story and a very human one. It conveys the appalling destruction and waste that happen in war without implying specific blame.

Of course, there is some sentimentality in the book because the bond between the boy and his horse is very loving and because a good story about war always carries a wealth of emotion around survival. All of these excellent qualities about War Horse were also captured in the outstanding National Theatre production. That demonstrated that adaptations can work but, however good, it's always rewarding to go back to the original story source.